Not exactly essays, not exactly poems, zuihitsu — a uniquely Japanese genre of literature — may be hard to define, but they are delightfully easy to read. "The Columbia Anthology of Japanese Essays," edited and translated by Steven D. Carter, presents a definitive collection of this genre, written between the 10th and 21st century. Each section of the collection is prefaced by a brief introduction, and thus provides excellent context for both the serious student unpacking Japanese literature and the couch-reader, languidly dipping into the wonderfully meandering style of the zuihitsu. Fittingly, Carter opens the collection with Sei Shonagon and Yoshida Kenko, who together "provided the foundation for a literary form that would live on until the present."